Nature

Our home, the mountains, is close to our hearts. Nature is a precious asset, we want to use it responsibly and consciously.

That is why we have taken some measures to protect our mountains.

Natura 2000

Natura 2000 Verwall is a protected area in Montafon that is part of the Europe-wide Natura 2000 network. It encompasses the Verwall, an impressive mountain group in the Central Alps. The area is characterised by a diverse flora and fauna as well as rare habitats that need to be protected. Natura 2000 Verwall aims to ensure the conservation and restoration of natural habitats and wildlife. Measures are taken to preserve biodiversity and protect endangered species.

Nature-friendly mountain sports

More and more people are drawn to the mountains, more and more are discovering mountain sports for themselves. What for many means a break from everyday life poses great challenges to previously little-used natural areas. The flora and fauna in higher regions are often more sensitive than in the valley. Human interventions therefore have far-reaching consequences. With the initiative "Nature-friendly mountain sports in the Montafon", existing conflicts of interest in the southernmost valley of Austria's Vorarlberg region are being jointly defused and sustainable solutions are being sought for everyone - i.e. wildlife, forest and mountain sports.

Flora and Fauna

The Silvretta Montafon is home to countless animal and plant species: scrambling ibexes, whistling marmots, wild herbs, young plants and alpine flowers as far as the eye can see. How beautiful it is to observe animate nature quietly and secretly, showing consideration for its habitats. After all, who likes to be disturbed in their home?

Greening

Landscaping on the mountain

Every year our mountains are greened by our employees after the winter season. But what exactly does greening mean?

The greening team takes care of the landscape in our mountains. The slopes are still a bit worn from the winter, so the meadows need care.

The roads are also being renovated and flowers are being sown again where the snow cannons used to be. A lot is also being done for the Alps, for example the so-called "Schwenda". In concrete terms, this means landscape maintenance: the meadows are cleared of stones, shrubs, mountain pine patches and bushes, as they displace the cows' fodder plants.

Cooperation with tree.ly to support our forests

The cooperation between Tree.ly and Silvretta Montafon represents the connection between climate protection and adventure space. Tree.ly, a pioneer in the development of regional forest climate protection projects, is working together with Silvretta Montafon and Stand Montafon on ecological measures to promote the sustainable management of forests and to preserve and expand their CO₂ storage capacity.

Together, we strive to protect and preserve the ecosystem of the Montafon forests in long term. Our guests now have the opportunity to directly support the forests of Stand Montafon and thus make a significant and measurable contribution to climate protection. In the process, 100% of the financial resources flow specifically into the Montafon project forest.

Sustainable forestry protects the forest, while at the same time preserving the natural and recreational space of the Silvretta Montafon. Our top priority is to preserve and make healthy nature accessible to our guests and residents. Together we can actively contribute to the well-being of our environment and promote the health of the local forests. Stand Montafon, as the largest forest owner in Vorarlberg, uses the funds received in a targeted manner to make the forest climate-ready for the future.

This is achieved, among other things, through the following measures:

Rejuvenation initiation with small-scale harvests
Thinning to increase stand stability
Reforestation with site-appropriate woody plants
Creation of planting berms to protect against snow sliding and desiccation on sunny slopes
Slope stabilization with willow shrub layers

Further informations about the project area can be found here: https://tree.ly/de/portfolio/stand-montafon

Everyone can make their contribution

Support the Montafon Forests now by purchasing a 1 or 2 day Silvretta Montafon ticket!

To the tickets with climate protection contribution

Winter Edition

Silvretta Montafon

Outdoor Guideline

Waste Management

Of the thousands of skiing enthusiasts, some leave their traces not only in the snow, but also in nature. Cigarette butts and plastic bottles on the piste and along the hiking trail - that doesn't have to be! That's why we try to avoid rubbish as much as possible from the outset. If it does occur, we separate and dispose of it properly. Everyone who is out and about in the Silvretta Montafon can help with this - it is best not to cause any rubbish and if it does occur, dispose of it in the bins provided.

There is an individual waste concept for each of the eleven mountain restaurants, with the common goal of reducing the amount of waste. For some time now, we have predominantly dispensed with disposable tableware. At the outdoor bars, we only serve our guests their drinks in glasses. Wine and beer are ordered in bulk. Some of our restaurants have already replaced small, plastic-packed butter and jams with open portions.

In addition, the Nova Stoba team works with its own recycling system. The on-site carton press allows us to save space on the mountain. Wooden boxes in which deliveries for the mountain restaurant come are burnt in the wood-burning stove to produce hot water.

Throw away food?

We are against this and therefore sometimes also process products that have exceeded the printed best-before date. Our chef checks them very carefully for quality and ensures that we waste as little food as possible.

THIS IS HOW WE ARE GETTING CLOSER TO OUR VISION OF A WASTE-FREE MOUNTAIN WORLD, STEP BY STEP.

CleanUp Days

Together with CABINSKI and PATRON, we have made it our task to protect the diversity and beauty of the natural area "Montafon" and to preserve it for our future generations. At the same time, we see it as our task to contribute our share to sustainable development in the valley and to live up to our claim to set an example for more sustainability in tourism.

In this joint event with all the mountain railways in the Montafon, we set out to free the nature of the Montafon region from litter and thus preserve our natural environment. Step by step and hand in hand closer to the vision of #plasticfreepeaks.

As initiators, we would like to establish the CleanUP Days as a recurring and lively event in the Montafon, where tourists, locals and day visitors of all ages lend a hand. Above all, we want to encourage day visitors and tourists to do something for nature, which is otherwise often only "consumed" by them. We want to create a visionary event where locals and their guests together set an example for a gentle and sustainable alpine tourism!

More information